2024:  HIPPOS & HURRICANES

You know that things are dicey when the year’s

bright spot’s a pygmy hippo named Moo Deng—

“bouncing pork”—the star of Thailand’s zoo,

who teethes on knees of those who try to feed her.

Incumbents lost elections round the world:

South Africa, India, U.K., and Japan.

We gained Trump’s trademark comeback– touting plans

for buying Greenland, making Canada

a State. Sounds crazy, but deporting hordes

of immigrants from factories and farms

is not a sane move, either. Nor are tariffs. 

We lost outstanding people: Jimmy Carter,

100–year-old humanitarian;

the Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh; stars Maggie Smith,

Kris Kristofferson, and James Earl Jones;

Nikki Giovanni, black-arts poet;

TV’s fitness guru Richard Simmons.

Putin’s foe, Alexei Navalny, died

in an Arctic prison cell, while war goes on

against Ukraine, the country Putin covets.

But 2024 was rife with war—

Civil War in Sudan; in the Middle East,

Hamas attacked and Netanyahu bombed

hospitals and workers bringing food 

to starving Gaza. This war, no one wins.

Autocracies in key countries grow strong—

China, Russia, North Korea, Iran.

They sell each other weapons. Partners, now.

Our planet’s climate keeps on heating up.

The largest, longest river in the world,

the Amazon, is starting to go dry.

The hottest year on record’s ’24.

To cap it, add a hurricane or ten. 

Helene’s the Atlantic Ocean’s special gift.

Flooded Spain and US southeast coast.

Perhaps life’s better on another planet?

NASA’s Perseverance targeted Mars

in search of living microbes under ice.

And on the moon, Japan landed a SLIM *

softly, nose-down;  solar-powered success.

Research these days is robot-run, just like

in science fiction. Fiction, now, is fact.

Artificial Intelligence, called AI,

leads medical breakthroughs. That’s a happy plus.

But guardrails aren’t in place, and people fear

AI, unchecked, could trash our daily lives. 

So here we are. Now 2024

is in our rear-view mirror.  What a year!

What’s next? More of the same? Hippos and wars?

Or will Trump stir up chaos, just for fun?

* Smart Lander for Investigating Moon

Listen to OM & Styx Viscous – We Coffin Up It’s True by STYX VISCOUS on #SoundCloud

Listen to Gold Fears – OmStyx.mp3 by Theodore Aplin on #SoundCloud

Listen to UnentitLed – OmStyx by Theodore Aplin on #SoundCloud

“Nothing has remained”

Everything has gone

The homes, the souls and feelings.

Our joyful summer became a frightening winter

With its long-darked and terrifying nights.

The ghost of death eradicated our hearts

And stole our souls.

Our beautiful spring became a lifeless autumn

Our children fall Like the leaves of the green trees,

So quietly with the breeze of death.

Their souls fly

As the hovering and glamorous butterflies

Lost in the vast universe

And increase the number 

Of the shining stars.

Our feelings turned into a dry valley

And a burden desert

They’re frozen as an ice bar.

We don’t feel the loss 

As it’s numerous 

And no feelings to joy 

We’re still alive 

But nothing has remained.

Life’s Journey

Life is a journey, a winding road,

With lightened loads and heavy loads.

It brings us joy, it brings us pain,

Like sunshine bright, then gentle rain.

Each day’s a gift, a chance to grow,

Through highs and lows, we come to know.

With love and hope, we make our way,

And cherish life, come what may.

Wazed Abdullah is a student of grade 10 in Harimohan Government High School, Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh.

Gaza and the New Year

The world is preoccupied in 

Preparing for the New Year celebrations

The Gazans are engaged in 

Looking for crumbles of bread,

a bottle of potable water,

A shelter from coldness,

And tarpaulin to protect from the rain.

The world launches the fireworks 

That symbolize the so-called civilization

But the Gazan children are killed with the bombshells

That scatter their soft flesh

And the dogs snatch their bodies.

The world turn on the lights and music

That turn the world into deep darkness

And lead to craziness.

While the Gazans have no light

To see each others in tents

And their music is the sound of drones and jets.

The world shares  the beauty of the family

While the Gazans are either homeless or martyrs.

The world feels the warmth of home

But the Gazan children die from the severe coldness.

The world distributes gifts

On children 

However the Gazans’ gifts are heavy lethal bombs and rockets.

That dismember their limbs,

Kill their beloved 

And demolish their homes.

The world gives  children sweets

And the Gazan children receive the white coffins.

The world is celebrating the new beginning of the year

Whilst the Gazans are waiting for the end of their misery.

If you’d like to support poet Ahmed Miqdad and his family at this time, please feel welcome to support and share his GoFundMe here.